Aug 30th, 2016

Coul Links development faces conservation campaigners

Trying to kibosh new course

Words: John Dean Photography: www.coullinksgolf.com

US entrepreneurs Mike Keiser and Todd Warnock are hoping to transform land at Coul near Embo into an 805-acre, 18-hole complex, but they are facing opposition from leading conservation groups.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust, RSPB Scotland, BugLife and Plantlife Scotland have all come together to campaign against the project.

The four organisations say they are “aghast” at a proposal which would destroy one of Scotland’s last remaining undeveloped coastal dune habitats.

The partnership wrote yesterday to the developers urging them to think again.

Jonathan Hughes, chief executive of the Scottish Wildlife Trust said: “It’s difficult to explain to those that haven’t visited the links what an exceptional stretch of unspoiled coastline this is. It would be a tragedy if the area was developed.”

Stuart Housden, director of RSPB Scotland said, “A large part of the proposed golf course is within the Loch Fleet Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet Special Protection Area. The site is noted for important protected birds including terns, geese and waders. It fully deserves its protected status and I am very surprised that it should be under this kind of threat.”

A spokesman for the developers’ agents Jones Lang Lasalle has said: “The applicant is currently undertaking an environmental assessment of the site and its surroundings with the objective of achieving a development proposal that responds appropriately to the environment.”

We think it’s a great venture, which will bring a lot to the local community by giving tourism a boost in the area. So, no disrespect to the bugs, we hope it gets the go ahead.